


A single black apple

by InkyOverlord



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Brother/Brother Incest, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forbidden Love, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sanscest - Freeform, Secret Relationship, Sibling Incest, brother to lovers, lying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21603658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyOverlord/pseuds/InkyOverlord
Summary: what if..the story of Dreamtale was one big lie?
Relationships: Dreammare, Nightmare Sans/Dream Sans, dream sans/nightmare sans, nightdream
Comments: 16
Kudos: 206





	1. Storytime

**Author's Note:**

> a new fanfic idea i have,i can't help myself sometimes ;v;  
> this fic is basically a 'what if' like what if Nightmare wasn't a bad guy but acted as one?
> 
> also there are these 'books' that get mentioned,they basically hold the story of each AU and are considered important(even if they are inaccurate)
> 
> so yeah hope you like it!
> 
> (also Dream and Error are my brotp sorrz)

_ Once a upon a Time,before the multiverse was reaching its ripeful age,there lived a young and newly created AU called Dreamtale and inside this AU was a tree known to balance the positive and negative energy around the multiverse.A protector was assigned to guard the tree,known as Mother Nature—but sadly due to human’s cruel and greedy nature had become immensely injured. _

_ However before she finally passed away,with all the magic she had left in her,she created two new life forms,who are now known as Dream and Nightmare. _

_ They both did their best to carry their duties to protect the tree but as the village that surrounded the tree grew more,issues began to arise. _

_ Nightmare,the guardian of negative emotions,was a jealous and cruel monster,only lusting on the misfortune of others and craved tyrannical power over everyone.Dream,the positive guardian,was manipulated by his brother into believing him rather than the concern issues from the village. _

_ Dream’s trust was taken advantage of by his brother which ultimately led to the destruction of his own AU _ .

“Okay I think that enough reading” Dream spoke,shutting the leather book,embroidered with a symbol of a sun on it.

Dream glanced over at an unamused destroyer of worlds,his glitches phasing in and out a lot slower than usual.

“ **Ugh Dream I’ve heard this tale, _like a billion times_** ” The glitch groaned,rolling over the grass ground to face the sky.

“Maybe it’s nice for you to get acquainted with your friend’s history” Dream simply commented as he set the book aside.

“ **I’ve learnt enough from that brother of yours** ” Error was quick to retort.

The lighter guardian presses his knees up to his chest,“Fair point,but you and I both know that he’s a bit of a liar”

“ **Dream,that book wasn’t even written by either of you,what makes you think I should trust a book more than both of you?** ” Error replies.

“You make a good argument there,I don’t necessarily agree with the book as well” The lighter guardian admitted.

Error raises a skelebrow in curiosity,” **What do you mean by that?** ”

“Well…” Dream’s voice trails off,”he wasn’t the only one who hated the village”

Before Error could ask why,Dream stood up,taking the book with him as well,”I'd better head off now,Ink probably thinks i’ve been kidnapped again”

The glitch sits up as well,” **Fair enough,see you in the next battle in humantale?** ”

“Of course” Dream answered,summoning a portal.

After the lighter guardian left,Error got up and stretched,allowing his bones to pop in a satisfying way.

He wonders what Dream meant by that.

~

Dream popped into the Star sanses base,holding the book firmly in his arms.He wanders pass a few doors before passing through a set of large oak door with a single star in the middle.

The lighter guardian was met with walls of books that reached as far as the eye could see.He wander through the library,enjoying the sights of the various books. 

Is was when he made it to the section for his book,he spotted a taller,artistic skeleton,deep in thought as his boney fingers trailing against the spine of each book.

“Ink? It's a surprise seeing you here” Dream spoke.

Ink’s attention turned to the smaller skeleton,”ah Dream,i’m just re-sorting books really”

“It's a bit odd for you to be doing that” Dream inquired.

“I just have a really bad art block right now,so i just need a distraction” He said with a bit of a defeated sigh.

“Fair enough” The lighter guardian replied.

“Yeah but for some reason,the D’s section is missing a book” Ink said before he soon took notice of the book Dream was holding,”oh! you had it all along”

Dream rubbed the back of his skull,”I just wanted to touch up on my own history”

The lighter guardian handed over the book to Ink and he placed it back into the shelf.The book slipped back into its place along with the other books,Dream couldn’t help but glance at the other books in a somber manner.

“Hey Ink”

Ink hummed in response,his attention back on the lighter guardian.

Dream softly fidgeted with his gloves,”do you ever think its possible..to re-write these books?”

The artist couldn’t help but chuckle,”pfft--what?--what in Outertale made you think that?”

“Everything that is written in these books stays untouched,its set in stone” Ink explained,” _ well--paper _ ”

“Right..” Dream sighed.

Ink wasn’t very good at noticing small details but he did notice how his friend was acting off--especially around the books,he kinda wanted to ask if the smaller skeleton was okay but before he could,he was cut off by the loud ringing of alarms.

“There’s been an attack somewhere!” The two skeletons heard Blue shout as he ran by them.

Dream followed soon,his cape flowing behind him,”I have a feeling they’re attacking Humantale,lets go”

Ink watched the lighter guardian leave his sights,The artist eyes flickered to question marks for a brief moment before he soon follow as well.He knew Dream was a smart skeleton though he did wonder how he knew that type of information.

~

It only seemed to take one fine plan to take down the Star sanses.

Error was somewhat impressed by how easy it was,Ink was already tied down in Error’s strings and Blue was impaled into a tree,blood magic bleeding out of his upper shoulder.He struggled to pull the knife out of his shoulder.

“Argh! Let go of me!” Ink snapped as he struggled in Error’s grip.

The glitch gave a swift kick to Ink’s head,making him yelp in agony.

“ _Tch_ this battled sucked” Killer whined,twirling a knife in his hand.

“Consider it a good thing dude,we finally have more time for our hobbies” Dust added.

Killer huffed,”Yeah i suppose,Boss what do ya want us to do with these three idiots?”

The atmosphere tensed as Nightmare’s gaze was at the fallen two skeletons,his only eye sending an icy stare at them.

“Leave them here to suffer,” He ordered,as he pulled his tentacle from behind,revealing Dream,who was struggling against the goopy monster’s grip,”I’ve got what i’ve wanted”

“Dream!” Ink called out,before getting another kick to the skull.

Error growled at the artist,” **Sweet asgore--shut the fuck up already** ”

  
  


With a swift click of the dark monster’s fingers,a portal opened,Dream gasped as Nightmare walked closer into it,the lighter guardian tried to claw himself free from his tentacle but it was fruitless.

The last he heard was his friends screaming his name before it soon all went black.

  
  
  



	2. we'll get around wherever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The act is dropped

Dream’s vision blurred immensely as he fought to open his eyes,his back ached badly as he felt his spine press up against something hard and cold.

His eyes finally opened only to be met with darkness,he blinked a few times which allowed him to adjust to the sight of four shadowy figures.Though he seems to know who they already are.

“ **Hey dream catcher is finally awake** ” Error commented,his thick glitchy voice was noticeable for the guardian.

“Good,boss is on his way so this shall be fun” Dust added,”Right paps?”

Error huffed in annoyance,“ **Dude quit talking to your floating headmate** ”

An offended gasp came out of the hooded skeleton’s mouth–Though the mini drama was quickly cut short.

“Boss is coming~!” Killer exclaimed,bouncing on his spot.

Even if it was dark for the lighter guardian,he could recognize the glowing blue hue of his brother’s eye staring down at him.

“Fancy seeing you heard my dear brother” his deep voice sent chills down Dream’s spine but his annoyed expression still stood.

“Fancy seeing you in one piece “ Dream spat.

Error let out a bit of a cough-laugh,getting an odd look from Dust.

The darker guardian stepped forward before pressing his palm into the cell’s pole,leaning in close so his brother could just see the outline of his face.

“Now that’s no way to treat your brother Dream,perhaps I should punish you for your unruly behavior~” He said with a smirk.

Dream could only glare at his brother,only making Nightmare’s smirk more sinister.

Nightmare clasped his hands together,”Well I just so happen to finally upgrade my private torture chamber just for you~”

“I can’t wait to hear your delicious screams brother” He purred.

Dream immediately stood up, his teeth gritted in anger,”as if I’ll ever give you what you want freak!”

“Tsk tsk brother or I’ll have to use my special weapon against you” Nightmare spoke before turning to his gang.

“You four,head back to the main hallway,me and brother have some _private matter_ to discuss” He ordered,turning his head towards his brother with a sinister smile.

The group left,with Dust carrying with killer dragging him along.

“Aww but I wanna see the torture!” Killer whines as his voice faded away the further they went.

Nightmare looked behind him waiting for the rest of them to finally leave,listening to their footsteps slowly echo down the hallway.

“Are they gone?” Dream asked,only to get a slightly raised hand in response from the taller monster.

For a bit Dream sat there in silence until Nightmare lowered his hand and turned to face the lighter guardian.

“They’re gone” Nightmare spoke with a smile,though his smile could scare any monster.

But not Dream.

Nightmare’s posture changed,his tense shoulders lowered in a relaxed manner,his tentacles lowered as well to make himself appear less threatening,he looked extremely exhausted but very well relaxed.

Dream got up from his spot and made his way to his brother,”good”

Nightmare unlocked the cell and was suddenly tackled by his smaller brother,the larger monster couldn’t help but let out a deep chuckle.

“Missed me that much brother?” Nightmare asked,getting a hummed response from his brother.

The larger monster rested his hand on the back of his brother’s skull,stroking it carefully like he was a fragile flower,“I’ve missed you too,you played your part very well” 

“I’ve been practicing” Dream replied,nuzzling himself into his brother’s chest.

“I see that you have” Nightmare tried to hold down his laughter as his brother’s face tickled his chest,sending a warm and fuzzy feeling to flourish around that area,”though I do wish to apologize about our battle earlier,I didn’t intend to grip on you so tightly”

“I forgive you Nighty” Dream spoke,”besides it helped make it look more real to the others”

“True but I promise to be more gentle next time” He added.

The darker guardian gently nudged his brother away,getting a huffy pout from Dream in response,as much as the larger one wanted to keep the hug,this was not the place they should be in.

“Shall we take this to our ‘secret place’?” Nightmare asked,getting a determined nod from his brother.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at his brother’s cute state,”very well”

~

A separate AU from both Dream and Nightmare’s world,empty of human annoyance and full Of natural beauty.Nightmare had specifically ordered Error to destroy all human and monster life in this AU and when the glitch asked why for this specific request,Nightmare stated that he rather not bring attention to the star sanses.

And of course Error believed it,not like he had a choice on the matter.

This empty AU became the brothers little hideout where they could meet up and just enjoy each other’s presence.The house was built by them with their own vision in mind.

The small house had a greyed-out color scheme due to Nightmare’s eye sensitivity to bright colors but still kept the charm of a grandma’s house,the way Dream liked it.

It was _their home_ ,where they could finally be _themselves_.

  
  


Dream was sitting comfortably on the couch,reading his book that is until Nightmare presses his chin onto the top of his skull.

“Hello brother” Nightmare greeted with his attempt of a friendly smile.

“Nighty! I was getting to the part of the book!” Dream whined.

Nightmare eventually slipped onto the couch allowing his brother to comfortably rest against his chest as the goopy monster wrapped his arms around Dream’s shoulders,his tentacles lazily draped over the couch.

“You’ve read the book a million times” Nightmare pointed out.

“I know but this part is sooooooo good!” He squealed,kicking his legs in excitement.

Nightmare let out a deep laugh as Dream wiggled around against his body,he loved it when the lighter guardian got excited about anything,it made his heart flutter at the sight he was blessed with.

“Why don’t you read that part to me then?” He asked,watching his brother’s face heat up with a bright yellow blush.

“W-what? But I thought you hated this book” His brother responded.

Nightmare rumbled a him from his throat,”I do,but I enjoy seeing you get excited for it”

The lighter guardian hunched his shoulders up in embarrassment but nevertheless he began to read it out loud.A few times he had to pause to gush and ramble on about certain parts of the book,Nightmare didn’t mind that,after all he really did hate the book but absolutely adored his brother’s soothing and gentle voice,it was the one thing he longed to hear after a long day of working.

His soul fluttered inside his chest as he closed his eyes,allowing to fully embrace the sweet comfort of his brother,his breathing rhythm slowed down to a peaceful state as he slowly drifted to sleep.

And the last thing he heard was his brother angelic voice.


	3. we'll go to a place that is safe from greed,anger and boredom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> intermission between the act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super duper fluff hours :D

Nightmare’s eyes fluttered open,his face slightly muffled by a soft blue and yellow fabric,he groggily lifted his head up to see that he was on top of Dream,while he just continue to read his book,not minding the fact there was a heavy monster on him.

“hmm ,you still reading?” The larger monster yawned,bearing his sharp teeth.

Dream hummed as he licked his finger and turned another page,”Yep,you kinda fell on top of me”

“And you didn’t bother to move me off?” He asked,raising a brow.

“Why would i?” He added,”I didn't want to ruin your beauty sleep,after all you deserve it Nighty”

“Ughhh don’t get me started on my shit sleep schedule” Nightmare groaned,flopping his head into the back of his brother’s back.

He heard his brother chuckle,but overall,Dream was right,Nightmare had been overworking himself,spending many nights reading files,writing notes and drinking insanely unhealthy amounts of black coffee--if he had blood pressure it would certainly be off the charts.He lacked proper sleep,often getting up in the middle of the night to work until he passed out on his desk.

He shrugged off those weighing thoughts as he nuzzled more into the back of his brother,enjoying the warmth of Dream’s positive aura.

“Nighty,you’re tickling me” Dream’s voice snapped the largest monster out of his thoughts,shifting his body slightly.

Nightmare slowly got off his brother and sat upright,”hmm sorry,probably thought you were a pillow for a second there”

Dream sat up as well,a small chuckle erupted from him,”Perhaps napping is required”

The larger monster nodded in agreement as he stretched,even his tentacles as well before relaxing back into the couch.

The lighter guardian shut his book and set it onto the small coffee table,”it is getting pretty late,come on Nighty,you need it”

“Lift me up brother,my legs are killing me” He groaned as he dramatically flairs his arms around.

Dream rolled his eyes but got up,holding his brother’s hands tightly before pulling him up off the couch,eventually he let go—though the larger monster wish he could’ve held on for a little longer but nevertheless he followed Dream down a small hallway.It lead to a small door with a small wreath that hung on it.

The door clicked open and reveal a small room, painted with a faded green color,two beds sat on either side of the room and a window in the middle draped with a soft purple curtain,a few plants stood on the window still,each side was decorated to reflect each skeleton’s personality.

Dream made his way to his closet and shuffled the clothes inside it while Nightmare pulled out a robe and tossed it onto his bed frame,he managed to take off his jacket and shorts,leaving his shirt and underwear before he put on his robe on,slipping his arms through the sleeves as well as the sleeves for his tentacles.

He very much appreciated Dream’s effort to make a piece of clothing that suits his needs,using a regular shirt would be too tight and just cutting holes in them would leave his tentacles out in the cold.

As he put it on,he couldn’t help but let his eye subconsciously glance over to the smaller skeleton,his brother had unbutton his shirt and folded it neatly at the end of his bed,which left his bare back exposed--and something to note about Dream was that he had a plump ecto-stomach that starts from under his ribcage and finished at his pelvis.The lighter guardian had a tactic to store as much magic as possible in case of a surprise sudden battle.

Dream was just about to unbuckle his belt when his eyes glanced over at his brother,Nightmare quickly turned away,feeling embarrassed by the fact that he had been staring at his brother--maybe his exhaustion was really getting to his head.

The darker guardian slipped into his bed,his tentacles dangling out from the blankets but nevertheless he was comfortable,his single eye peeped open to see his brother,take off his headwear and make his way into his bed,snuggling under the blankets,his bright yellow eyelights met Nightmare’s and he gave a small smile,Nightmare couldn’t help but smile back.

“Goodnight Nighty” Dream spoke up.

“Goodnight brother” Nightmare replied as well before closing his eyes,drifting off to sleep once more.

~

Nightmare groaned as he opened his only eye,only to be met with a blinding light,he rolled over to face the wall that hung his framed records,wanting to enjoy his sleep for a few more extra minutes.

Though he heard clattering outside the room,after much thought,as well as determination--he decided to get up,throwing his legs over the bed,making him sit up right.He stretched out,feeling every bone in his body pop and crackle,once satisfied he got up and got changed to his usual attire and slipped on his shoes,groggily making his way to the kitchen,the bright light of morning really irritating his eye.

Dream was up and about in the kitchen,his boots clicking against the tile floor as he placed various pans on the stove and took out a few food items and set them aside on the counter. Nightmare popped in,leaning against the doorframe,watching his brother bounce off the walls like the early bird that he was,Nightmare watched him do his own thing,waiting to see if he would notice the larger monster.

“Morning Sunshine” Nightmare called out,his voice still a bit raspy.

Dream turned to look at him with those golden eyes,”Morning Nighty! How would you like your eggs?”

“Scrambled please” He replied, letting out a yawn as he made his way across the kitchen and opened a top cupboard,taking a metallic box of coffee powder.

“You want some coffee?” Nightmare asked.

The lighter guardian shook his head,”No thanks brother,the milk expired,i’ll just have tea”

Nightmare let out a chuckle,taking out the coffee maker with one of his tentacles ”Fair enough”

The two guardian did their part in preparing breakfast in silence,though it was a comfortable sort silence,the type that them pay attention to the smaller details in life. Nightmare waited for the coffee maker to boil,glancing over at his brother how had his gaze on the pan,making Nightmare’s breakfast the way he likes it.Dream’s eyes shine like gold under the morning light,making the larger monster’s soul flutter in his chest,he couldn’t help but admire his brother’s soft features--how at peace he was,with the two skeletons keeping this a secret between their usual chaotic lives,a peaceful life together was needed and them just doing things together without anyone telling them what to do felt like a much needed thing.

Nightmare was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the kettle and coffee maker squeal,he pulled out two mugs,a white one with a banana image on it saying ‘i find you very a _peeling_ ’ and the other was a black mug with an image with a little cat on it. Nightmare poured his coffee into the black mug and place the tea bag into the other cup and poured in hot water.

He knew Dream’s way of tea making,usually its weak along with two teaspoons of honey and if he was sick he would have lemon in it. The darker guardian watched his brother set the two plates of eggs and bacon onto the kitchen table. He also made his way to the table setting down the two mugs on their respective sides.

The two skeletons sat and began eating their meals,making mindless small chatter every once in a while before falling into a comfortable silence. Nightmare felt his brother’s boots pressed against his knee, he raised a brow in curiosity,watching his brother hum quietly while eating his breakfast. 

He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he began to eat his breakfast,He really did appreciate the little things that his brother did--always wanting to remind him that he cared about the larger monster.

Breakfast finished and the two help clean the dishes together--although due to Nightmare’s allergy with water,he wore gloves when drying the dishes,using his tentacles to put them away.

Once that dish duty was done,Dream decided to go back to the living room to read his book once more,his tea cup was placed on the coffee table in front of him while he was curled up on the couch,using his cape as a blanket.

Meanwhile Nightmare was in front of a mirror,making various poses but each time he would get slightly annoyed at each pose.Even though Dream was very into his book,he couldn’t help but glance over at his brother,admiring his brother’s broad posture.

“Enjoying yourself there?” Dream commented,flipping a page from his book.

Nightmare’s shoulders slump,”just trying to find a threatening pose”

“what‘s wrong with your old poses?” Dream asked,closing his book and putting them to the side.

“Nothing” Nightmare corrected,”just thought to spice things up”

The lighter guardian sat up and made his way towards his brother,watching him making a tense pose at the mirror,Dream however decide to mimic his brother’s pose.The two skeletons looked at each other for a brief moment before bursting into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Dream said,laughing mostly because his brother was laughing as well.

“I’m sorry Dream but you’re too cute to be intimidating” Nightmare chuckled,only to get a slight pout from the lighter guardian in response.

  
  


“Oh i can be intimidating Nighty! Just not towards you” He retorted in a playfully manner,casually shoving the taller skeleton.

Nightmare rolled his only eye,” _ sureeeeeeeeee _ ”

  
  


Dream scoffed,”what? You don’t think I can be _actually_ scary?”

“Nope” he simply said,”you’re too adorable~”

He watched his brother’s cheeks light up like a yellow light bulb,Nightmare was actually tempted to pinch them but atlas,he resisted,only letting out a small chuckle.

“Nightttyyyy how dare youuuuu” the shorter skeleton whined.

He gently patted the top of his brother skull,feeling his own soul buzz in delight when he did so.

“I’m sorry Dream but it’s the truth” He said.

“I guess I’ll accept my fate” Dream groaned,planting his face against Nightmare’s body.

Instinctively Nightmare pulled his brother into a hug,letting his brother wrap his arms around his waist tenderly,feeling a slight shiver go up his goopy spine.

“Come on now,sunshine” The larger monster said softly,”we gotta get ready for our ‘act’”

Dream pulled away from the hug,making Nightmare feel a bit colder from the lack of contact.The lighter guardian nodded with determined eyes that glow like gemstones.

“ _Right_ ”

  
  
  
  
  



	4. Adoring every move, now my rank is sinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone finds the backstage of the act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a short chapter but i hope you still like it ^^

Killer basically booked it down the hallway,his slippers making loud thumping noises as he ran,sweat rolled off his skull as fear began to rise from inside him,though not from his current issue—but rather dreading what his boss has to say.  He had a feeling that the boss was still down in the cellar,torturing Dream--probably having a shit ton of fun breaking his ribcage, _ man _ ,it would be nice if the eyeless skeleton got a chance to hurt that goody-two shoes but oh well,another day--since there was already an issue at hand.

He skidded at a turn which lead to the dusty cells,he let out a few coughs at the dusty air entered his ‘lungs’---should probably clean this place at some point.

He saw the larger monster as well as Error,he was probably annoying boss for something. The eyeless one makes his way towards the two,the air was tense with negativity and Killer was certain that he was gonna make it worse.

“Don’t you have some knitting to be doing?” Nightmare growled,his tentacles flared up in annoyance.

Error casually tapped away on his phone,” **geez chill out Nighty,just checking on you** ”

A demonic growl rose from his throat,” _ Don’t  _ call me that”

The glitch set his phone on a small creaking table,” **dude chill,you’re getting yourself angry for no reason** ”

“U-um boss” The eyeless skeleton meekly spoke.

The two skeletons turned to his direction,even Dream,who was huddled in the corner of his cell,looked up at him,making the eyeless skeleton feel tense inside his ribcage,despite the lack of muscles needed to do that.

“What is it _now?_ ” Nightmare asked,his voice rough enough to send a chill of fear through Killer’s spine.

Killer quickly cleared his throat,”we--uh have a problem”

“ _Is there?_ ” He raised a skele-brow,looking unamused.

“Uh yes sir!” Killer anxiously fidgeted,” it’s the--star sanses,they’ve broken in”

“ ** _WHAT!?_** ” Nightmare yelled,his whole posture raised as if he was gonna strangle him,” **THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU DUMBFUCK!?!?!,GO OUT AND FIGHT!** ”

“Y-yes sir!” Killer saluted,tearing up slightly.

“And _you_ ” Nightmare pointed at the glitch,”you’re helping too!”

“ **Alright alright** ” He sighed,rolling his eyes

Error ushered the eyeless skeleton out of the cell area,they were both just about to enter the hallway when the glitch shoved his hands into his pocket,realizing that his phone wasn’t in his pocket.

“ _**Shit** _ ” He murmured,” **I left my phone in the cellar** ”

“Dude you're gonna get into big trouble if he sees you back there again” Killer added,his voice still shaking from being yelled at--tiny drops of tears threaten to fall at any given chance.

“ **It's fine,i’ll just sneak back in,he won’t even know** ” Error reassured the other skeleton,booping his nose,” **Just get the other two** ”

Killer didn’t look so keen on that idea as his nose scrunched up but he didn't want to face the goopy monster again for the time being he nodded as he turned heels and went to grab the others.

The destroyer soon went back to the cellar,carefully tiptoeing to where he left his phone,he peered from behind a wall,noticing that Nightmare was still in the same spot,in front of Dream’s cell,Error raised a brow in curiosity as he watched Nightmare’s tentacles lower.

The destroyer watched on as Nightmare reached out and unlocked the cell door.

_...what? _

There were many questions swimming through Error’s head but he kept quiet,seeing Dream get up and leave the cell room.

“You know you shouldn't have yelled at him,i think you made him cry” Dream scolded the larger monster.

The glitch stared in disbelief,surely his corrupted mind was just playing tricks on him right? Dream was never one to scold someone--let alone someone that was twice his size, _for fucks sake_ he would step on a bug and cry about it for a full week.

But nope,what he was seeing was indeed real as well as surreal,watching Nightmare look apologetic about it.

  
  


“Sorry,I got-- _erm_ carried away with my acting” Nightmare’s voice was softer,still deep and masculine but less raspy.

It was such a trip to hear his voice like this.

“Still” Dream huffed in disapprovement,”you better not do it again or no cuddles for you”

wow,Dream really had the guardian of negativity around his finger tips huh---it was sorta funny but also not funny since his whole view of Nightmare was basically destroyed right in front of him. Its like seeing someone do something extremely dumb and its funny---only to find out that they died doing that.

“I won’t,though its gonna be hard” He mumbled that last part out,”hurry,brother who knows how long the others will keep them delayed”

The two skeletons left,Error waited a bit just in case one of them came back,after a while he slithered out from behind the wall,made his way to the table and quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket. Though he took a second glance back at the cell where Dream one sat in.

_So..all of this is an act eh?_ Guess its what Dream meant to say earlier,though he might need a bit more background research on those two.

And he knows how to get that.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. All of this turbulence wasn't forecasted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The actors awaits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohohohoh we're getting close to the good bits >:)

Dream stared at the mug that was in his gloved hands,the warmth from the mug feeling quite lackluster.

“Thank Asgore we got you back safely!” Blue exclaimed,jarring the lighter guardian’s sense of self.

He nodded in response but didn’t say much,shifting the couch slight and taking a sip from his mug.

He always hated the taste of black coffee.

“Yeah,i’m surprised as well,you seem in good condition” Ink added,his eyes flickered in colors for a bit.

“Maybe physically” Dream spoke up,”mentally,forget about it”

His lies burned his throat as he watched the other two glances at each other worriedly.He didn’t let it show but his anxiety sunk into his guts like a heavy achour.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ink asked,awkwardly trying to show his support.

The lighter guardian shook his head,”i’m fine,i just need to lay down for a bit--if that's alright with you guys”

He glanced back up at them,getting pretty sympathetic looks from his friends.

“Of course,Dreamy” Ink said in a more sincere and calm t one,”I’ll be in my room if you need anything”

“—and I’ll be back in my own AU,get better soon!” Blue’s cheerful tone perked up.

And so the trio split off to do t heir own things,leaving Dream alone on the couch,he set his mug aside on the coffee table before curling up against the couch’s pillows,wrapping his cape like a blanket around him.

He tried to drift off to sleep but his mind was preoccupied with thoughts on himself as a person.

He knew lying to his friends was bad but he didn’t want to drop his little ‘act’ due to his fear of them reacting….well not well if they ever found out that Dream was hanging around his ‘evil’ brother,he couldn’t imagine what that might be like.

In fact,he didn’t want to imagine that.

He scrunch up his nose in annoyance,rolling over to face the other side of the couch,his mind was clouded with feelings of guilt and anxiety—yes he’s the guardian of positive emotions and what not but that didn’t stop him from having awful feelings twice a week. He curled further into a ball,trying to distract his thoughts from thinking about how much of a liar he was—he didn’t have much to do really,he left his favorite book back at the secret place and he didn’t really have much energy to get up from the couch.

He wasn’t sure why he was so exhausted,maybe the fight from earlier wore him down or perhaps he was so good at acting that he actually tricked himself to be sad.Regardless,the lighter guardian let out a small yawn. Maybe—maybe he misses his brother,it seems that their time together was always cut short for some reason,it seems that as of late that Dream was missing the longer moments with Nightmare—longing to see the terrifying beast once more.

His tense posture relaxed a bit,his grip loosened as he felt himself drift off to sleep—thoughts of his brother popped into his mind,making a small smile curled up against his lips,remembering the sensation of him nuzzling against his spine,his soul fluttered inside his ribcage in content before he fully drifted off to sleep.

  
  


~

Dream groaned as he fluttered his eyes open only to be met with a pair of colorful eyes.

“Did I wake you?” Ink whispered.

He immediately shot up from the couch and screamed,which startled the artist as well.

“Woah!--- hey pal its just me!” Ink explained,looking apologetic.

He quickly calmed himself down,his face heating up in embarrassment,his eyes awkwardly glanced down at the ground while his friend tried to stifle a giggle.

“Heh morning sunshine” Ink said with his dorky smile.

Dream seemed to stare at the artist longer than he thought he was,he realized that and spoke up,”a-ah hello Ink”

Ink’s eye shifted to a question mark,The artist was slightly concerned by his friend’s sudden quiet attitude but he simply shrugged it,thinking he was still tired from that fight from a while ago.

“Ya want something?” He asked,the lighter guardian shook his head in response.

“I’m fine Ink” Dream replied,”I promise”

The artist happily accepted the other’s response and stood up,”alright,i’ll leave you be for the time being”

The lighter guardian smile as he watched his friend walked back to in room,once he was out of sight,Dream sighed in defeat,his shoulders slumped in exhaustion.He glanced over at a book that Ink must’ve accidentally left on the coffee table.

He picked up the notice and took note of its embroidered cover,laced with blue strings to keep it together—he instantly knew who this book belonged to.

The destroyer of worlds  _ himself _ .

Dream has read the book in his spare time,noting that it refers to the glitch as a “ _ mindless hellbent destruction seeker _ ”

Which wasn’t true but were any of the books? Error,while yes a bit of an unstable being but he had more dimension than that,he often rave about scientific stuff that the lighter guardian could never comprehend,he was honestly surprised how intellectual the glitch could be when he wasn’t focused on destroying AUs.

Speaking of _ that _ .

  
  


Ink slide past the lighter guardian,”THAT BASTARD BE _DESTROYIN’!_ ”

  
  
  


He soon stopped in his tracks before turning to Dream,”--uh--i’ll be back soon! You stay put!”

Dream rolled his eyes,watching the artist dash off into a portal,before it disappeared into the air.

The lighter guardian got up from the couch,stretching his back up.A defeated sigh escaped from him,his mind kept wandering to his brother--temptations to visit him grew as his soul fluttered in his chest.

Blue was back in his AU,Ink was probably gonna be a while.maybe--- _ maybe _ he could drop by real quick.

He wonders how his brother was doing.

~

Nightmare flipped through some paperwork,trying to sort them in a neater manner--he wasn’t exactly good at it but attempts were made.

An annoyed growl erupted from his throat before he sat back in his seat,rubbing his temples and then glancing at the ceiling,wondering how his brother was doing,thinking about his smile and imagining him hugging the larger monster sent crazy shiver in his soul---he couldn’t handle being away from his other half for so long,he missed his brother dearly.

But he had to keep his threatening posture,he would dust himself if his crew ever found out he wasn’t the monster they thought he was--even worse,possibly attempt to overthrow him from his throne.

However,his act was taking a toll--it was exhausting to act all tough and scary  _ 24-fucking-7 _ and all he was thinking was cuddling up to his brother,allowing him to be himself.

His thoughts soon disappeared once he heard a pair of slippers pass by him.

“What do you want?” Nightmare spoke up,not bothering to move his head.

The darker guardian already knew who it was,” **chill Nighty,I’m just dropping off these files and then destroy a couple of AUs** ”

He heard the files flop onto the table,he glanced at the glitch with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“You usually watch your dumb soap operas at this time” Nightmare added with skepticism in his tone.

“ **Aren’t i allowed to spice up my timetable from time to time?** ” The glitch retorted.

Nightmare thought for a brief moment before sighing in defeat,face palming himself and using his other hand in a ‘shoo’ gesture.

“Ugh fine. _whatever_ ” He said.

  
  


Error gave the defeated monster a victorious smirk before he summoned a portal,knowing full well that he was planning to uncover some dirt between Nightmare and his brother.

  
  
  
  



	6. here in the garden,let's play a game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone goes backstage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you couldn't by the title,this fic was inspired by the episode 'single pale rose' from steven universe and this chapter will show alot of that ^^;
> 
> but i hope you still enjoy!

Ink flopped face first into the ground,he quickly shot up from the ground,his scarf was wrapped around his face during his slightly blind panic. He quickly throws off the floppy end of his scarf and quickly glanced around his surroundings.

The sky was a dark bloody red with a few dark clouds that passed by over the Artist,he glanced couldn’t help but shiver slightly at the sight as he continued to walk around,feeling the gritty and unfertilized ground merely crush under his shoes.

He stopped when he felt something hard crush underneath his foot,he looked down to only be greeted with a snapped femur,he yelped in horror,jumping away from the sight--he then glanced around to see he was surrounded by rotting corpses and bones.Ink really tried to resist the urge to vomit,feeling a sickly burning sensation rise in his throat,Ink swallowed hard as he truck on forward.

This wasn’t like Error at all— _ yes _ he was a murderer and actively seeks out to harm people but the one thing he always did was destroy the AU itself,did Error purposely leave this AU up as a sick joke for the artist?

Whatever the reason it was,he knew he wasn’t gonna like it.

He soon came upon a hill,dried up grass crinkled under his boots as he soon spots something burnt up far ahead,he carefully made his way to the thing—listening out for anything that may attack him. 

Eventually he made his way up to what appeared to be a large stump,it was definitely bigger as well as older than the other trees,given the amount of rings the tree had—Ink was no expert on trees but if he had to guess,the tree seemed to be just as old as this AU.

It felt  _ familiar _ ,though he couldn’t figure out why-------- _ then it hit him. _

This was Dreamtale,the  _ original _ Dreamtale.

_ His friend’s Dreamtale. _

His soul sank inside his rib cage at the thought of it,must’ve been painful to be constantly reminded of the destruction of your own home,nevertheless by the person you once cared about.

“ **Such a shame isn’t it?** ” A distorted voice spoke up,causing the artist to quickly turn around to the voice.

There was no one there but he knew who it was clearly as he pulled out his brush.

“Don’t be a coward Error! I know you're here!” The artist yelled to nowhere in particular.

Ink kept whipping his head around,trying to spot the destroyer,his grip was firm against the wood of the brush.

“Error,quit playing!” Ink growled,”this isn’t a time for games!”

“ **Oh, isn't it?** ” His voice called once more.

An array of blue strings merely missed him,he pulled back just in time and swiftly whipped around to see the destroyer himself,his usual sinister smile plastered on his face,though the strings quickly disappeared when the artist finally spotted him.

“ **Took you long enough to find me** ” The glitch spoke,his distorted voice dripping with evil intentions.

Ink had raised his brush to point at the glitch,inches away from smacking him right in the skull,”Error,I'm not in the mood to deal with your bullshit”

“ **_Oh please_ ** ” Error merely brushes aside the artist’s weapon,” **if i didn’t exist,you wouldn’t have a job** ”

He clears his glitched out throat,” **besides the point,i’m actually here to---** ”

Before he could finish,the brush was swung at him though he teleported out of the way and appeared behind the artist,” **\---talk** ”

Ink whipped around and still kept his guard up,his eyes flickered to shades of red,meanwhile Error simply rubbed his tempt and let out a huff--boi this was gonna be hard.

“ **Listen here moldy paint,if i wanted to kill you i would’ve already done it** ” Error said,one of his hands on his hips,” **like I was trying to say,before you rudely** **_fucking_ ** **interupted me--i want to talk** ”

“There isn’t anything you could say that would make me believe you!” Ink snapped harshly at the destroyer. 

“ **Oh isn’t there?** ” Error rhetorically asked,tapping his fingertips together,” **not even if it’s about your friend,Dream?** ”

Error could see it in the Artist’s eyes,he looked confused,lost--probably wondering if the destroyer was high,well what he might say will make him think that.

“ **You see, I’ve often found it odd that Nightmare always seemed so adamant on kidnapping Dream** ” Error began to explain without Ink’s input.

“Well–they’ve known each other for so long,it’s obvious he would still go for him” Ink attempted to retort back.

“ **—but we both know Dream is an extremely good fighter,it must be funny hearing that from me** ” Error cuts in,“ **But yet in battle,Dream seems to be the first one that goes down—and yet after that he comes back without a single scratch** ” 

At some point during the monologue,Ink had lowered his brush,his grip had loosened after hearing everything his arch enemy had been saying to him,no—Error was a compulsive liar,he wasn’t telling the truth,he wanted to believe that he wasn’t.

And yet what he was saying did make sense—he quickly shook those thoughts away,no,he wasn’t gonna believe him–not over his friend.

Error must’ve taken notice to the silent artist,” **I know what your thinking,you don’t believe me—well let’s say I did some sleuthing and timeline jumping to find some pretty interesting information between the two that might change that thought** ”

“Hate to break it to you JavaScript,but nothing you say will convince me”, like he would believe him at all.

The destroyer merely shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets,” **I never said you had to believe my words—just see it for yourself** ”

He pulled one hand out and snapped his fingers.

“What in the multiverse are you talking about—“ before he could finish,he felt the ground beneath him give way,falling through the portal.

The last thing he saw was Error’s sinister smile.

he collapsed onto the ground again but he shot up quickly.

“hey jackass!,what’s the big—“ he frantically looked around only to slowly realize something was off,”...idea?”

This was Dreamtale,but not the one he had been in,the sky was a crystal clear blue with pure white clouds that danced by happily,the grass was a luscious shade of green and quite frankly,wasn’t littered with dead corpses.Ink glanced back and saw the tree standing tall as ever,it’s branches dancing lazily against the cool wind.

_ Was he dreaming? Did get knocked out by Error? What in the world is going on? _

Before he could answer himself,he heard soft whispers coming from behind the tree.

“We can do this,it’s going to be easy”

He decided to check it out,carefully peering out from behind the trunk.

He saw Dream,though he wasn’t wearing his golden cape—indicating that it was the past Dream,the other skeleton he was talking to was Nightmare but before he looked like a pile of goop.

Nightmare looked on worriedly,”there’s gotta be another way,maybe we—“

“This village doesn’t care,it never has—we can end this all right here,right now” Dream spoke,determination flickered in his eyes.

The darker guardian held the black apple close to his chest,worry was written all over his face.He looked like he was searching for something to persuade his brother from whatever he was planning.

“You do know this is crazy right?” Nightmare said,pleading for his brother to reconsider.

His brother nodded.

“Your status,my purpose—none of it will matter” The darker guardian added,his voice seemingly shook with every vowel.

Dream nodded again,tiny stars lit up in his eye sockets.

Nightmare glanced back the corrupted apple,”This will change everything”

Dream clasped his hands together,his trademark smile appeared across his face,”I know! Isn’t it exciting!”

He sighed as he glanced back at his brother,a smile curled up against his lips.

“It is” he simply said.

Meanwhile Ink watched on,his grip tightened against the bark of the wood as he listened on in disbelief—he didn’t want to believe it— _ he couldn’t! _ –this wasn’t the Dream he knew!

“We can leave our old lives behind” Dream spoke,”I want to give us another chance,I want to live in a world where we never have to see each other hurt—I want to live with you Nighty! We both can finally be free!” 

Nightmare blushed deeply at his brother’s words before he took in a sharp inhale,”okay,I’m ready”

“Nightyyyyyy!” The lighter guardian squealed.

Though Nightmare did look worried for a brief moment,his brother tenderly placed his hand on the other’s shoulder in reassurance. Dream gave a soft smile,his yellow eyes filled with absolute adoration for his other half—he couldn’t help but smile back.

“I can’t believe I’m going to do this” He murmured quietly.

“Well” The lighter guardian added,”I can’t exactly turn myself into stone”

Ink’s eyes widened in horror— _ this–this _ wasn’t real,his whole view of Dream–his close friend who he trusted,was shattered.

The two brothers shared an embrace,a wave of emotions rocked through them as they held each other tight—knowing this will be the last one for a few centuries.Neither really wanted to let go but they knew they made their choice and were determined to stick to it.

Nightmare pulled away,preparing himself to bite into the corrupted fruit,he was about to pierce the skin before Dream quickly grabbed his arm.

“Wait,there’s one last thing” Dream spoke,concern filling his voice.

“Y-yes?”

“No one can know we did this,I never want to look back” Dream replied.

He took his hand and placed in on Nightmare’s chest,”So as my last wish to you as a brother,please,let’s never speak of this again”

The last line sent chills down the artist’s spine.

“ _ No one can know _ ”

And with that,Dream walked off,preparing for his plan,while Nightmare waited at the tree.

Ink didn’t realize how long he had been holding his breath,until it was knocked right out of him when the tree suddenly disappeared and he tumbled forward. Being greeted with the bloody ground once again.

He groaned as he sat up,rubbing his skull,glancing up to see the destroyer looking down at him.

“What in underfell was that?” Ink managed to mutter our,”did I Just time travel?”

Error let out a glitchy laugh,“ **Pfft of course not idiot—I merely took you to an alternate timeline that was identical to our own except one difference** ”

“What?” Ink asked,his eyebrow slightly raised.

“ **In that timeline,no one knows about the truth,** ” he said.

Ink found himself staring at the ground again,those words ringing inside his skull,”your lying...that–that isn’t true—Dream wouldn’t lie to me like that!”

“ **He’s been lying about a lot of things** ” Error replied,” **I find it funny how much he hides from you** ”

The glitch’s smile contorted in a disturbing way,” **especially about** **_me_ ** ”

No---Error didn’t mean---------

“ **Oh you didn’t know** ” He acted fake surprised,” **me and Dream have been hanging out behind your back** ”

He found himself gripping the dead grass underneath him-----he couldn't and very well shouldn’t trust his enemy and yet everything he saw before made him second guess his own feelings.

“ **Doesn’t feel good does it?** ” He adds,” **I mean imagine all the things he might be saying about you** ”

‘ _ imagine all the things Nightmare might be saying about me _ ’ Error thought.

The artist managed to rips his hands from the ground to press them against his head,attempting to squeeze all his panicked thoughts out of his skull.

“No—no! You're lying! This isn’t Dream! He wouldn’t do something like this behind my back!” all he could do was shout at the glitch.

“ **Well guess what bitch,he did and he does,looks like neither of us know him well hm?** ” He adds quite aggressively,” **he’s fooled as all for a long time** ”

Ink tries to prop himself up slightly,though quite difficult as his arms have become more like jelly,”So what? You're proposing we should work together to stop them?”

The destroyer let out a distorted laugh,” **haha! Oh you slick oil paint,you tickle me funny sometimes—like I’ll ever work with you!** ”

“ **No I’m not interested in stopping them really,as you should be aware—I enjoy a bit of gossip,a bit of rumours and maybe some drama as well—in general I love tearing happy endings apart** ” he continues,stretching out his clawed hands in a sinister manner.

The glitch lets out a small ‘tsk’ with a flick of his tongue,“ **Such a shame I had to find out the little secret about Dream,such a sweet guy–makes good banana bread too** ”

“ **_Bbbbbut_ ** **that’s what happens when you put too much trust in me** ” He quickly shrugs.

Ink manages to use all his strength to push himself up onto his feet again,feeling slightly lightheaded from his panic attack earlier.

“Wait—why do you want to ruin Nightmare? Isn’t he your boss?” The artist asked,rubbing his forehead a bit.

“ **_Pfft_ ** **you think I work for that guy?** ” Error replied,” **the only reason I hang there is to eat his trash** ”

Ink stared at him oddly,”What…?”

“ **_Uh…_ ** ” sudden Error’s dementor deflated,as well as his ego,” **Anyway—I’m just gonna go overthrow the king** ”

And with that Error left through a portal,leaving Ink alone in the dilapidated AU.His head hurts—and not from the amounts of falls he’s been taking,it’s from all those things he’s been told as well as what he had seen.

He wants to deny it,he really wants to  _ deny it all, _ Dream was an honest and loyal sweetheart who always did the right thing—not this lying monster that caused all this mess.

Ink looked around the place then he turned back to the destroyed tree,thoughts seemed to be going through his head.Could Dream really be the cause for the apple incident? Why in the world would convince his brother to eat the apple? What did he gain from this? And why do the two still continue to work together?

He quickly shook his head,Now wasn’t the time to end up in a cycle of questions,he needed answers—and he knew where to get them.

_ Straight from the source. _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. ashes,ashes,dust to dust,the devil's after both of us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> caught in the act

It took Ink a bit of time to head back to base,faint memories of what he saw were still swimming in his head were definitely making him hesitate---a part of him was hoping that the positive guardian wasn’t there but he _ knew _ he needed an answer--he needed  _ proof _ ,though the two options were making Ink feel particularly sick in the non-existent guts.

Dream could be innocent--making Error a complete liar as usual.

Or Dream could’ve had a part in destroying his own AU....his  _ own _ home.

The thought of being close friends with a murderer made him feel worse.

Once the artist unlocked the door to the base,he was greeted with darkness,at first he just assumed that no one was home,however,a faint light of a door cracked open indicated that someone was indeed home.As he passed by the coffee table,he could spot in the darkness of the book of Dreamtale laying there,making his anxiety sink even further.

He followed the lead which had led to the base’s kitchen,as he peeped through the door he could spot the familiar golden cape come into view.Seemed that upon hearing the door crack,Dream turned around,holding a mug of tea in his hands.

“Oh Ink!” He greeted cheerfully,”fancy seeing you here”

Ink quickly snapped out of his thought before entering into the kitchen,”w-well i thought i was gonna be the only one here at this time”

“Didn’t feel like heading anywhere today,mostly did some reading” He explained,”would you like some tea?”

He shook his head,”no,i’m good”

“Are you sure? Your kinda looking pale---well paler than usual” The lighter guardian asked,his eyebrows lowered in worry.

A lump formed in his throat,”ah--well,there’s something thats been on my mind recently”

Dream’s attention was more focused on the other,taking a sip of his tea,”oh? Do you wish to talk about it”

Not like he had a choice,he could either ask or choose to deny the possibility--going against his own morals ,”yeah--actually,i just want to ask..”

Ink found himself fidgeting,words seemed fail him,”it’s about Dreamtale”

The artist noticed how Dream’s eyes widened,almost looked like he was choking on his tea.Ink’s mind was racing with so many questions,he wanted to push aside that reaction but he kept pushing forward.

“Yes..?” Dream’s voice was suspiciously quiet.

“I was wondering..” His voice trails off,”that if..”

“You destroyed your own AU?”

Ink’s answer was met with a loud shatter,he jumped right out of his bones hearing the mug clash against the floor,spilling everywhere.He glanced up at the terrified guardian,seeing the pale expression that loomed over his face.

“D-Dream?” He managed to stutter out.

Dream was basically shaking,his gloved hands covering his mouth.

“Dream,please talk to me” He said more firmly, maybe a bit more aggressive than he wanted but he  _ wanted _ answers,The artist tried to reach out but the other skeleton pulled back.

“I----” Dream could barely speak,he was lost for words.

“Just tell me Dream” Ink begged.

The lighter guardian seemed twice as shaken now,tears forming in his eyes,”I—I didn’t have a choice—“

That phrase alone was enough for Ink to see the color red,as his worst fear came true”No choice?—you had a choice to do this!”

“We didn’t have a choice!” He snapped back,”h-how in Underswap do you know this?!”

“From your little glitch friend” The artist retorted back.

Dream’s eyes widen upon realising what he meant—how does Error know that? He’s never told him that secret.

“Not only have you been hanging around a murderer,you  _ are _ one” Ink spoke harshly,his eyes gleaming with anger.

Seemed like the lighter guardian felt the same,”do not compare me to him!”

“How could I not?!—you let an entire village die! They were innocent people!” Ink harshly reasoned with the other.

Dream felt his fingers curl into a fist,”innocent?!? My brother was beaten,stabbed,humiliated and _assaulted_ while I was forced to do nothing about it!”

  
  


“Have you once even fucking considered that people are complex?” The guardian snapped at Ink,the artist even flinched in surprise for the sudden f-bomb.

  
  


“Of course!” Ink tried,”but that doesn’t mean murderers are complex”

“By your logic,you’d be just as bad as Error if you killed him” Dream hissed out,bitterness filling his voice like venom.

“Well—“

“Would you kill me?” 

Ink froze upon hearing that question,”Dream..I—I could never hurt you!”

The artist tried to reach out and comfort the other,but Dream’s bitterness was seeping into his system,adrenaline running through his brain,removing all sense of balance and maturity,the minute Ink’s hand touched him,all his senses went out the window.

“DO NOT TOUCH ME!” He yelled,instinctively pulling his arm back before throwing a punch directly into the artist’s chest.

And unlike his battles,Dream was  _ not _ holding back.

Ink’s body flew across the room and into the wall,leaving a dense crack in the wall,as Ink collapsed to the ground,heaving heavily—the lighter guardian quickly came back to his senses and realized in horror of what he had caused.

The pain was almost unbearable for the artist as the stinging sensation in his chest shot through every part of his bones,his vision became spotty and disoriented but he could see Dream quickly run out of the room.

“Dream!—Dream _Wait—!_ “ He coughed up,before throwing up a pile of ink and succumbing to the darkness,passing out.

~

Dream didn’t care where he was,he just needed to get out.

A portal to another AU was the best option,as he landed he quickly got his footing and dashed off,to where—who knows anywhere far away from Ink.

Far from the person he cared about.

His mind was racing with a thousand questions as he ran through the thick forest,dodging and weaving through trees—he wasn’t sure how long he had been running for but his legs basically screaming at him to stop,he couldn’t—not when he was now a wanted criminal now.

He took a glance back to see if that were the case,of him being chased but all he saw was more grass and trees flying passed him,however he didn’t look in front in time before crashing into something and collapsing,at first he thought he ran into a tree but—

“Dream?” The voice of a surprised Nightmare spoke up,clearly not in his threatening act,hinted by the worry in his voice.

The lighter guardian glanced up to the worried sight of Nightmare,there was no way he could hide the absolute distress that was across his face,nor he could hide his trembling hands that dug into the cold earth,leaving stains on his gloves.

The darker guardian kneeled down to the other,”Dream,what's going on?”

His throat tighten as his words seemed to struggle to come out of his mouth,”—he–he f-found out”

“Who Did?” He replied,reasonably confusing.

Tears threatened to spill out of Dream’s eyes as he spoke,“Ink!—he found out about us! I-I don’t know how b-but I didn’t tell him! I swear—!”

“Woah Dream,calm down” Nightmare interrupted,gently placing his hands on his brother’s shoulders–seeing him go into a state of hyperventilating,”I need you to take deep breaths for me Okay? Can you do that?”

Dream nodded,trying to control his sobbing,tears rolling down his cheek before he tried to wipe them away in frustration,he took in a few shaky breaths in then exhaling out,he continued this until his breathing return to a more decent pace,still choking a few sobs here and there.

“You’re doing great Dream” The darker guardian reassured him,gently squeezing his shoulders,”now tell me what happened between you and Ink”

The lighter guard wiped away a few more tears,his face completely flushed and an overall mess,”I-I was just at the base like usual,then Ink c-came in and wanted to a-ask me a question—then–then he asked if I was the one that destroyed my own AU”

The atmosphere fell silent,say for Dream’s sobs,”—I-i tried to make an excuse but I couldn’t,then he told me he found out through Error”

“Error?” Nightmare blinked in surprise.

“Yes! But I didn’t tell him!” He cried out.

Nightmare pulled his brother into a hug,letting him sob into his chest as he carefully stroked his skull,”I believe you brother,we probably weren’t careful enough—we’ll probably need to be more careful from now on”

“It’s all my fault” He sobs out,burying his face into the goopy monster’s chest.

“Don’t blame yourself” He spoke,”you couldn’t have know”

“B-but what do we do now?” Dream responds,”Error has probably already told the others”

The darker guardian thought for a moment.”we might have to hide for the time being,i feel like they don’t want to see us right now”

Dream agreed,though he kept mostly quiet,holding his brother close.Nightmare can’t imagine what his brother could be going through,while his relationship was close with his crew,it wasn’t on the same level as his brother’s--his crew admired him,they all saw him as important,a leader-- _ well, _ except for Error,regardless there was a distance between him and his crew.

His brother on the other hand,he wasn’t seen as more or less important,rather than an equal,he could tell by the way he often talked about them,to the lighter guardian--they were not just his co-workers but his friends.

A sigh escaped from the taller monster’s mouth,”come on,let’s head back home”

Dream didn’t say much as he tried to stand himself up,only to collapse under his own weight,Nightmare was quick to grab hold of him to soften his fall.

“I--i can’t” He tried to speak up but his voice left quiet.

It was best that the darker guardian should carry the other---considering his meltdown has left him incredibly drained,he wrapped his arms around his brother and held him up bridal style,Dream didn’t seem to argue as he still hid his face in the other’s chest.Once he was certain that he was safely supported,Nightmare open the portal back to their home.

  
  


~

The house was still as the larger monster entered,keeping the room dark to not disturb the skeleton in his arms ,it seemed like his panic attack really drained him as he was sleeping in Nightmare’s chest.

He passed by the many antiques they had collected over the years and carefully,using his tentacle,to push open the door of the bedroom.Nightmare carried Dream to his bed and was about to lay him down until he felt the yellow gloves forcefully grab onto his shoulders,freezing him into place.

“Please stay with me..” He hoarsely spoke up,not looking up at the other,”I don’t want to me alone right now”

His soul ache upon hearing his brother’s shaken voice,of course he couldn’t say no to that.

“Anything for you Dream” Nightmare complies.

The two slipped under the covers,though slightly cramped,Nightmare managed to get at least comfortable without making it uncomfortable for the other,Dream snuggled into the other’s chest,letting out a sigh of relief as he did so.

Even though the room was dark,Nightmare could make out how exhausted the lighter guardian was,even in a slumber he still looked distressed and worn down—it had to have been centuries since he’s seen Dream like this,back at the village,no matter how wide of a smile he had on—nothing could hide the heavy bags under his eyes.

Nightmare  _ wanted _ to feel angry but his boiling anger just made him feel guilty about the situation,he wasn’t mad at Dream—more so the others,a part of him wish he could explain their situation and hope that they would change their minds but knowing Ink as well as the others at how stubborn they could be,they wouldn’t take that idea so kindly.

A soft sigh escapes from his mouth,watching his brother’s chest rise and fall–he’ll worry about it when the time comes but right now he needs to be there for his brother.

“Goodnight Dream” He softly spoke,”you need it”

And with that,Nightmare too had succumbed to the experience of sleep.

  
  



End file.
